Do two oxidants (ferric-peroxo and ferryl-oxo species) act in the biosynthesis of estrogens? A DFT calculation.

Density functional theory calculations were performed in order to reveal the mysterious catalytic step of the biosynthesis of estrogens. The results indicated two reactive oxidants, ferric-peroxo and ferryl-oxo (compound I) species, to participate in the conversion of androgens to estrogens. The ferric-peroxo species was determined, according to our derived mechanism, to act in the oxidation of 19-OH androgen to yield the 19,19--diol intermediate and generate the ferryl-oxo (compound I) species. This species was then modeled to effect, in the final step, an abstraction of H from an O-H group of 19,19--diol to give the experimentally observed products. We considered our new mechanistic scenario to reasonably explain the latest experimental observations and to provide deep insight complementing the newly accepted compound I (Cpd I) mechanism.